Matilda Paulsson
The Swedish mezzo-soprano Matilda Paulsson opened this season with the role of the Mother in the world premiere of the opera Mythomania by Paula af Malmborg-Ward, commissioned by the Gothenburg Opera. In the previous season, she appeared in the world premiere of Sven-David Sandström’s final opera The Book of Life (Livets Bok) with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, and she performed the role of Faust in Malmö Opera’s production Marguerite.
In recent seasons, Matilda Paulsson has sung Eboli in Don Carlo at Folkoperan in Stockholm and at Opera på Skäret. She has performed the role of Grimgerde in Die Walküre at the Royal Danish Opera, and at Malmö Opera she has sung Meg Page in Falstaff and Mallika in Lakmé. She has appeared as a guest at the Gothenburg Opera as the Composer and the Dryad in Ariadne auf Naxos as well as Siegrune (and also covered Fricka) in Die Walküre, and she has sung Paquette in Bernstein’s Candide at the Royal Swedish Opera.
Matilda has previously appeared as the Goldsmith (Gold-Spur) and the Fox in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen at NorrlandsOperan in Sweden, and she has sung the Librettist in the contemporary opera The Rococo Machine at Drottningholm Palace Theatre. At the Gothenburg Opera, she has performed Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, the Third Lady in The Magic Flute, as well as Die Vertraute and the Third Maid in Elektra. She has sung Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro at Wermland Opera, Alcina in Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso in Bremen, and Meg Page in Falstaff at Läckö Castle Opera.
At the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, Matilda has appeared as Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, Arsamenes in Serse, Cherubino, and in the title role of Carmen, which she has also sung at the Finnish National Opera and at Opera på Skäret. She has performed the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos (in Robert Carsen’s production) and Fenena in Nabucco at the Royal Danish Theatre. At Drottningholm Palace Theatre, she has appeared as Amastre in Serse and Ottavia in L’incoronazione di Poppea. She has sung Erica in the Scandinavian premiere of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa at Malmö Opera and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at Theater Hedeland. She has also been engaged at Staatsoper Hannover, Theater Kiel, Den Ny Opera (Denmark), and the Finnish National Opera. At Folkoperan in Stockholm, her roles have included Mary in The Flying Dutchman and the Third Lady in The Magic Flute.
As a concert singer, Matilda Paulsson has worked with conductors such as Sir Charles Mackerras, Gustavo Dudamel, Daniel Harding, Arnold Östman, and Alan Buribayev, and has appeared in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, St Paul’s Cathedral, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St John’s Smith Square, Berwaldhallen, Gothenburg Concert Hall, and Suginami Kōkaidō Recital Hall in Tokyo. She has performed with the Solti World Orchestra for Peace at the Solti Centennial concerts in Carnegie Hall in New York and Chicago Symphony Hall. She has also sung Grimgerde in concert performances of Die Walküre with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Harding.
Matilda Paulsson studied at the Royal College of Music and the University College of Opera in Stockholm. She has received numerous scholarships and awards, including the Louisa Banerjei Prize for singing, the Paton Award, the N&E Scholarship, and grants from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
Matilda Paulsson released her first solo CD, Junge Liebe (Caprice), in 2009, featuring a selection of lieder accompanied by Bengt-Åke Lundin. Their second CD, Der Ton (Sterling), presents songs by Joseph Marx.
